The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ondo State reported that eight people lost their lives in a petrol tanker explosion that occurred in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area of the state. The tanker was carrying 33,000 liters of fuel when it crashed on the Benin-Ore-Lagos Expressway. Upon the crash, fuel scoopers immediately swarmed the tanker, resulting in the fatal explosion.
The State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr. Ezekiel SonAllah, attributed the accident to loss of concentration and speed limit violation on the part of the tanker driver. He stated that the driver and motor boy escaped unhurt, but the eight fuel scoopers were killed in the act.
However, the reported number of casualties contradicted earlier accounts from witnesses who claimed that over 20 people, including three children and a pregnant woman, were among the victims.
The Ondo State government expressed its grief and condolences to the victims’ families, calling the incident a horrendous and avoidable tragedy. They also emphasized the need to discourage such incidents from occurring again.
In response to the incident, a lawmaker representing Odigbo 1 Constituency, Mr. Olatunji Ifabiyi, warned against the dangerous act of scooping fuel from fallen tankers and urged residents to avoid engaging in such practices to prevent further loss of lives.
The statement read in part, “This is a most horrendous way to die. We are shocked and traumatized as we express the depth of our grief for the victims of the explosion. The state would reach out to the victims’ families who are affected by these avoidable deaths. Whatever circumstances that led to this unfortunate incident must be discouraged.
“This is one tragedy too many and it is our joint responsibility to ensure this does not happen again.”
